The Stag and The Doe
by WhiteWaterLilies
Summary: Lily and James Potter have one of the most romantic love stories ever known, second only of course to Romeo and Juliet. This is my take on the story that drew the two lovers together, a state in which they remained until their horrific murder.


Platform 9 & 3/4

The sun shone through the mist as Lily Evens stepped to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Platform 9 & 3/4 was in perfect pandemonium, and parents and students rushed every which way locating lost belongings and siblings, while others were exchanging summer stories a nd laughing blithely with their friends. Lily closed her eyes collecting her thoughts; this was her final year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, _her final year_! She was an adult now.

Her moment of peace was ruined as none other then James Potter, as the biggest prat of the 7th year collided with the right side of her body.

"Sorry Evan's!" he called over his shoulder before continuing to chase his best friend and fellow prankster, Sirius Black, around the Platform. Evidently it did not hurt his muscles, well toned from Quidditch, as much as it hurt her right arm. "Oi Padfoot," James called "give it here!" "Come and get it!" Sirius taunted back waving a gleaming object over his head. "SIRIUS!" James yelled causing several heads to whip around is concern. James gave a shifty grin before continuing the chase after his best mate.

Lily grinned rolling her bright green eyes. She had missed school, even James and Sirius's constant pranks (though she would never admit it to anyone but herself). She tossed her flaming red hair behind her shoulders and readjusted her bags before setting of to find her best friends, Alice and Mary. "Lily!" came a delighted squeal from behind her, and spinning around she was bombarded by two seventeen year-old girls.

"Alice!" Lily cried looking into the beautiful, round, pixie-like face of her best friend. "Mary!" she squealed shifting her green eyes to the blue/grey gaze of the girl standing next to her. "Lily-pie!" Mary called back, grinning widely her eyes gleaming in excitement. "So how was your summer?" started Alice "Don't- "Leave out a single detail young lady" finished Mary, absently draping her attractive long mocha waves over one shoulder.

"Can you guess who came to 'brighten' my day, every day?" Lily asked.

"Are his initials J P?" asked Mary coyly.

"Oh, _Shut Up_ Mary!"

"No seriously was it 'Walrus Boy'?"

"Yup"

"And…" asked Alice.

"And…" repeated Lily.

"He proposed?" guessed Mary.

Lily merely nodded.

"She said yes didn't she?"

" You can bet on it."

Both Alice and Mary shuddered.

"When I get married I will certainly make sure my husband does not smell, is intelligent and isn't fat. It wouldn't be horrible if he was decent looking either."

"Oh, don't worry Lilykins, Jamie boy fits all your criteria."

Petunia Evan's soon to be Dursley was now engaged to a walrus of a man named Vernon. Vernon was the perfect match for Petunia because they shared common interests. He liked to talk about him self and she like to listen. She liked to gossip, and he liked to gossip to. In fact, Lily remembered one night when she came downstairs for water, and walked in on the two of them gossiping away like old grandmothers.

"Mary if you don't shut up I may just accidentally let it slip that you fancy someone with the initials S.B."

Mary just laughed.

"Talking about me ladies?" asked Sirius suddenly coming up and putting his arm around Mary. Mary just rolled her eyes. "In your dreams Black."

"Padfoot," said James firmly. "Give it to me now." Sirius seemed to be contemplating James's threatening tone. James grabbed the front of Sirius's shirt. " You may as well hand it over." With a sigh Sirius withdrew the arm that encircled Mary and shoved it in his pocket producing a large, polished silver badge. James didn't need to be asked twice. He quickly seized the badge, pinned it to his robes, which for whatever reason he was already wearing. He turned to the girls nodded and said "hey" and talked amicably before giving Lily a momentary glance, his hazel eyes burning with intensity. She jumped slightly at his shift in his gaze, causing a large goofy grin to play out across James's face. James then glanced at Sirius who had been watching the exchange with an amused expression. He raised his hand in farewell and dragged Sirius away by his shirt.

" What was_ that_!" cried Alice

"What?" asked Lily though she knew what her friend was talking about. For years Lily had looked into James's eyes telling him to stop bullying some kid or another, and in all those occasions he had been cocky and arrogant (not to mention he had asked her out at least 5 times per incident), and his eyes shone looking at her as if she were some winners trophy. But today, James had been neither arrogant nor cocky and he didn't ask her out, _at all_. But his eyes, they seemed to pull her in, as if she was looking into a black hole and with that one split second glance at her he had told her the most scary and comforting thing anyone had ever told her.

Mary looked over at Lily her eyebrows raised searching Lily's face. At last Mary seemed to gather Lily wasn't going to give anything away and glanced at her watch. "Merlin!" she cried. "The train leaves in two minutes."

The girls rushed to the scarlet engine shoving their bags on board, before hopping on themselves. They stuck their heads out of the windows, waving wildly at various family members as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station. Then, resisting the urge to fall down, they made their way to their favorite cabin.

The trio lounged on the seats, Lily and Mary side by side, and Alice across from them. Though the three girls chatted normally, Lily couldn't help but notice that every few seconds either Alice or Mary would give her a once over.

It was only when Alice's hazel eyes met her own that she was reminded:

With that one split second glance James had said _I see you. Not just 'you' but I see your soul. I see you Lily Evans, I see you._


End file.
